Articles

The Custer-Gallatin National Forest has proposed new protections for 18 outstanding streams in Montana through their forest planning process. The Forests propose to manage these streams as “eligible” for Wild and Scenic designation, along with 12 other rivers and streams previously determined to be eligible. Wild and Scenic eligibility offers stream corridors interim protection from dams and other impacts. The Forests’ analysis is solid in our view and merits appreciation from paddlers, though there is room for a bit of

Earlier today American Whitewater filed comments on the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) proposal to largely maintain the existing whitewater release schedule on both the upper and middle Ocoee River for the next 15 years. These comments are on the "scoping" stage of TVA's analysis in which they ask the public which issues and alternatives TVA should study in an Environmental Assessment or Impact Statement. American Whitewater asks TVA in our comments to ensure that no net loss in releases occur

In high water years, the dam that controls the flow to Horseshoe Bend on the San Joaquin will spill when water levels fill the reservoir. These flows are uncontrollable but usually when flows drop to a point that can be controlled Southern California Edison (SCE) makes use of these flows for power generation instead of letting it continue downstream. Leaving no water for whitewater recreation.   This year, however, American Whitewater, San Joaquin Stakeholders and Agencies have negotiated with SCE

Cody, Wyoming – This August 19 & 20 the Wild West Paddle Club is hosting the 2017 Wild West River Fest in Cody, Wyoming. In celebration of the beautiful Shoshone River, the Fest has events for everyone – Slalom Race, Class II Sprint, Shoshone Canyon Boater Cross, and many other fun activities for the whole family! Weekend festivities are free to the public, with the exception of race registration fees for competitors. You can find a full schedule here and all

National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act have generated considerable discussion in our nation’s capitol. First the Trump Administration released an Executive Order on April 26th that directs Interior Secretary Zinke to conduct a review of “all Presidential designations or expansions of designations under the Antiquities Act made since January 1, 1996, where the designation covers more than 100,000 acres, where the designation after expansion covers more than 100,000 acres, or where the Secretary determines that the designation or expansion

American Whitewater is conducting a survey to directly gather information from paddlers that experienced the Dolores River during the 2017 Boating Release from McPhee Dam. The feedback you provide us, will help us understand the economic impact of river-recreation to local communities, inform how successfully releases for boating were managed this year, and help us improve releases in the future. Please take this survey after each time you paddle the Dolores River. Information from each unique trip will be extremely

Earlier this year, Georgia Power cancelled two weekends of recreational releases on Tallulah Gorge because of emergency mechanical repairs required on the dam's gates. Representatives of the Atlanta Whitewater Club, American Whitewater, Georgia Canoeing Association, Georgia Power, and the Tallulah Gorge State Park met in May to discuss rescheduling the releases. Agreement was reached and recently finalized, based on a suite of constraints, to make the lost releases up on December 9 and 10, 2017 and April 21 and 22,

On Friday American Whitewater filed an appeal of the State of West Virginia’s flow and access prescriptions for the spectacular New River Dries. The State’s prescriptions would only restore an average of 3 or 4 days of flows sufficient for paddling as mitigation for the over 240 days lost to hydropower operations. In addition the state would require access 1.2 miles into the 5.4-mile run, foreclosing vehicle-based access on 22% of the run. The prescriptions will last for 30 to

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is seeking public input on a proposed management agreement with the Ocoee River Outfitters Association, U.S. Forest Service and the State of Tennessee (State) that would establish partner responsibilities to provide recreational releases and management on the Ocoee River in Polk County, Tennessee. Current agreements on flow releases and management expire at the end of 2018, and this effort aims to replace those agreements. The public comment period ends on July 19, 2017. Under the

The Mystic Lake Dam began spilling yesterday which means we are entering the timeframe when whitewater releases are possible. The Mystic Lake Hydroelectric Project historically eliminated many natural paddling opportunities. American Whitewater and Beartooth Paddlers Society negotiated releases that bump up flows on weekends when flows are otherwise just below good paddling levels. The flow triggers for releases are a bit complex, so study up! The best resource for predicting a whitewater flow is Northwest Energy's Mystic Lake Whitewater Page.

The Rock Creek Bench river access site on the North Fork Feather River officially opened on June 13th, 2017 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which American Whitewater's Special Projects Director Dave Steindorf attended. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) constructed the site as part of a post FERC licensing agreement with American Whitewater and other members of a group that oversees the implementation of the Rock Creek/Cresta FERC hydropower license (the Ecological Resources Committee, or ERC). This access provides a huge safety